BLOOMBERG - Saudi Arabia has markedly increased oil exports to America, a sign OPEC’s leading producer is responding to pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to cool down the energy market.

PLATTS - China's crude imports from Iran are likely to have peaked in August at 874,000 b/d ahead of the looming re-imposition of US sanctions in November,

MEOG - Saudi Aramco has put its $15 billion Marjan Crude Increment Programme up for tender, according to multiple posts on ProTenders and BNC Network.

MEOG - Saudi Aramco put $6 billion Berri oilfield up for tender, including the expansion of the Berri offshore oilfield, which produces between 250,000 to 300,000 bpd, as well as the expansion of the Berri gas plant in Jubail.

REUTERS - “The Saudis need oil at about $80 and they don’t want prices to go below $70. They want to manage the market like this,” one of the sources told.

OPEC - The JMMC noted that countries participating in the “Declaration of Cooperation” have achieved a conformity level of 109% in July 2018, which shows significant progress towards the goal set at the 4th OPEC and Non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting of 23 June 2018, which followed and endorsed decisions taken at the 174th Meeting of the OPEC Conference convened on 22 June 2018.

PLATTS - Saudi Arabia will report August crude oil production of 10.424 million b/d, an OPEC source told S&P Global Platts on Friday. The figure represents a 136,000 b/d increase from July, when Saudi Arabia, OPEC's largest producer and the world's largest crude exporter, self-reported production of 10.288 million b/d.

PLATTS - OPEC's second-largest producer, Iraq, boosted its southern crude oil exports to a new record high of 3.583 million b/d in August, according to the latest oil ministry data.

IAEA - "The vision of Saudi Arabia 2030 considers nuclear energy as an important source to support stability and sustainable growth,” he said. “Deployment of nuclear energy aims for peaceful purposes, in a safe, secure and sustainable manner consistent with highest standards and best practices. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has requested the INIR mission to support this goal. It was a valuable tool to pinpoint areas of improvement and ensure that the required infrastructures are in place before signing the contract for building the first nuclear power plant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

SHANA - Sitting atop 18% of the world's proven gas reserves, Iran ranks the first in terms of holding natural gas in the world. Owing to development of gas fields in recent years, Iran’s average gas production has reached 800 mcm/d, 600 mcm/d of which is consumed domestically.

REUTERS - Iran’s crude oil and condensate exports in August are set to drop below 70 million barrels for the first time since April 2017, well ahead of the Nov. 4 start date for a second round of U.S. economic sanctions.

FT - Saudi Arabia has cut the length of time that its state energy company has exclusive rights to the kingdom’s vast oil and gasfields, raising questions about Saudi Aramco’s long-term production and revealing a power struggle between the company and the government.

ARAB NEWS - One of the key markers of Iran's economic crisis has been the collapse in the currency, which has lost around half its value since April.

PLATTS - South Korea's crude oil imports from Iran dropped 45.8% year on year in July in the wake of the re-imposition of US sanctions, while intakes from Kazakhstan, the US and Mexico jumped as alternative sources.

REUTERS - The lawsuit filed with the ICJ says the U.S. sanctions, which are damaging the already weak Iranian economy, violate terms of a little-known friendship treaty between the two countries.